Judge Relents: Animal Abuser Reassigned From Shelters

Thanks to public outcry, Paul Canfield, who pled guilty to animal cruelty for shooting a cat named Oscar Flecha with a crossbow and arrow has been pulled from doing community service at two PA shelters who were not consulted about having him and did not want his services.

People in PA and elsewhere were disappointed, saddened and outraged at the sentence handed down earlier this week, which called for 6 months probation, $1,000 toward Oscar’s medical expenses, and 75 hours community service at each of two area animal shelters who are not affiliated with the County and were not asked whether they wished to participate.

As a result of widespread disapproval, Paul Canfield will not be performing his court mandated community service at Schuylkill County animal rescue centers Hillside SPCA and Ruth Steinert Memorial SPCA after all, despite the sentence handed down on Tuesday.

According to a Hillside spokesperson, outrage expressed through pressure in the press, interviews, and contact with the Probation and Victim Advocate offices have resulted in Canfield being reassigned.

Staff members at the Hillside expressed that they were not comfortable with having the man who admitted to performing the act of animal cruelty around either their animals or their volunteers.

Patrick Canfield should be going to jail. This judge failed Oscar and all animals who have been tortured or abused. Time to show that PA means business when it comes to animal abuse and it will NOT BE TOLERATED!! The judge failed, the justice system failed. Pitiful. I bet this guy will continue to abuse #cats only he will try to not get caught next time He also set an example for his kids. They used to taunt Oscar while he was in Amy’s window.

First, of all, Praise God Oscar is hopefully going to be okay~!
Second, Once again I am embarrassed to say I live in Pennsylvania. I know where Schulkyl County is and its not that far from me. Neither is Lancaster, land of the Amish Puppy Mills…….. Which the media (and OPRAH) helped us with alot by bringing awareness and even got some laws changed. Did you know until recently it was LEGAL to shoot your own dog. Bloody hell, how humane is that?????????

I’m surprised anyone would agree to have this monster do community service around them, people included. I wonder if the judge would have been lucid enough to pay a little more attention if Canfield had shot someone’s child.